Activities of the third field day for the experimental site in Setif, April 28, 2026
On 28 April 2026, the Algerian partner, U.SKIKDA, within the framework of the WATERMELLON project (PRIMA Section 1), successfully organized the third field demo day at the Setif demo site. The event brought together 38 participants, including 18 stakeholders involved in the WATERMELLON project in Algeria and 18 students from the University of Skikda, as well as 3 academics and researchers and 2 policy makers. The stakeholders included 7 male and female farmers, 4 agricultural advisors, and 4 seed producers.
The main objective of this demo day was to provide both demonstration activities and practical training for all participants on the functioning and implementation of the production systems developed within the framework of the WATERMELLON project. Through active interaction with stakeholders and students, the U.SKIKDA team provided a detailed explanation of the principles, technical implementation, and functioning of the water harvesting system, including the water flexible tank, pumping system, and water collection point, as well as their impact on both fish and crop production systems.
In addition, U.SKIKDA presented a field demonstration on soil, water, and crop management practices applied to the rotated winter forage crop with sorghum. During the visit, stakeholders received detailed information on soil moisture, irrigation management, and yield estimation under both irrigated and non-irrigated systems. In addition, the U.SKIKDA partner presented sorghum seeds to the participants and provided detailed explanations on the technical itinerary and irrigation program for this crop, which is scheduled to be sown on 15 May 2026.
Finally, the field demo day concluded with a visit to the water collection point at the demo site and participation in the ex situ assessment of irrigation water quality. Before leaving the demo site, all stakeholders, students, and researchers gathered for a group photo.
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